67th
(British) Military Hospital, Royal Army Medical Corps, British Army of the Rhine
(Rendsburg)

My Father :
Frank Ockenden. My father was born on October
16th 1906. The son of a Londoner whose family originated in Epsom, and had
married a girl, Alice, from Birmingham, he was the oldest of the three children
born to them. Frank was born in Islington – almost a Cockney. As a young boy he
was a diligent scholar and a thoughtful boy too, although he doubtless had his
mischievous moments. He excelled at football and according to those that knew
him well, he would doubtless have played for England. Leaving school he went to
work in an architects office where his application and thorough attention to
detail, brought him the respect of those more advanced in their training than
him. He soon won the respect and approval of his bosses who were the partners in
the company. In his late teens however he gave it all up to answer the call to
be a minister of the Methodist church. For this he studied at the Methodist
College in Handsworth, Birmingham, and followed this with a period of probation
in the Dales of North Yorkshire. His rural surroundings were in stark contrast
to the life he had known as a city boy in London and here, perhaps for the first
time, he met amongst his congregations, folks who really believed their Bible to
be the Inspired Word of God. It was the beginning of a lengthy period of
consternation, in which he was to come to examine in close scrutiny, those
tenets of the Christian faith which others had taught him at Theological
College. After a time, he went as a missionary to Southern Rhodesia, and was,
under the rules of the Methodist Church, unable to marry until a period of seven
years had elapsed from his ordination. So he went alone and it was not until
1935, that the love of his life, Ruby, a London girl was able to go there and
marry him in July of that year. In 1940, Frank and Ruby took their two children
Mary and Andrew, home to England. Frank felt that he was called to the duty of
becoming a chaplain in the Army, but it was not until 1943 that he was accepted.
Not long after a second son, John had been born whilst the family were living at
Hadnall in Shropshire, Frank was called away to start his training for Army
life. For the next four years he would be away serving in various
regiments of the 15th Scottish Division, and preparing for the time that Europe
would be liberated, following the Normandy landings and subsequent battles and
actions, that took place in North Western Europe, and eventually entering
Germany. As with many men, the war had a profound effect on my father. He has
seldom spoken of his experiences. His small treasures from that era, have
remained in an old ammunition box, which has recently been passed to me for safe
keeping. Of the experiences he has spoken about, only three come readily
to mind. Firstly, when Belgium was liberated, he had addressed a small
crowd at the Mennin Gate in Brussels, when the Nazi flag was taken down and the
Belgian flag was raised. He with one of the soldiers of his Platoon had stood
there and sung the British National Anthem – "God save the King." He has also
mentioned that he spoke to Lord Haw Haw – William Joyce – when he had been
captured and having been shot in the backside by a British soldier, needed
hospital treatment. Lastly he has spoken of the friendships he made with members
of a church in the town of Rendsburg, in Germany where he was billeted for some
months at the end of the war, and prior to returning home in1946. These have
been sound and abiding friendships, which he and my mother and the good people
of Rendsburg have cherished, in the 58 years since the War ended. After his
retirement, he and my mother visited the folks there several times, and
sometimes the friends visited them here in England. My father had also been
present when Belsen was liberated, and has spoken of a conversation he had, when
the Brigadier had returned from the first visit there, and said to him, "Now
Padré, tell me where there are any Christians left in Germany." It is perhaps
not generally known to this day, that the British government of the day had
plans for the re-Christianisation of Germany after the war. My father also
broadcast church services over the Nordwestdeutsche Rundfunk. Following a
complete re-think of the Christian ethic whilst a missionary in Southern
Rhodesia, he wrote a leaflet called ‘From Darkness To Light’, telling of his
eventual conversion to a saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. From then on he
approached his work with evangelical zeal, which was to bring him much
criticism, and sometimes open conflict with members of various congregations. He
has never accommodated modernist views of Christianity, and to this day believes
the Bible implicitly as the divinely inspired written word of God. Ultimately
this brought him into dispute with the Methodist leaders of the day and
eventually he resigned after 39 years. There was however, a solid core of
sympathy with him in Methodism, and a special resolution was approved by the
Methodist Conference to allow him the pension, which was not his right until he
had served for 40 years. He then became a Pastor of a free evangelical church.
Eventually he handed over to a younger man, but continued to play the piano for
services and church meetings, until he was over 90 years old. Five years ago,
Ruby my mother died, after 61 years of marriage. She and my father had been
children living in the same street, Duncombe Road in North London, and the blow
was a cruel one to my father. In truth he has never really recovered from the
loss of his precious darling who had supported him through all the hardships
that came his way during and sometimes because of his ministry. Last year
because of increasing frailty because of his years, Dad, had to give up his own
home and move to a nursing home for the aged, where he can be properly cared
for. The fact that he has the company of people around him has lifted him from
the depression he has suffered since Mum died. He becomes increasingly frail but
still has all his faculties. Not once has he opted for the easy road of watering
down his Christian beliefs. He was quite a strict disciplinarian when we were
young, and he was and is a believer in corporal and capital punishment. As I go
through the things in his old ammunition box I am amazed at the things that must
have imprinted themselves on his mind. One of the most profoundly moving things
is to see the letters written after the war by some of the soldiers with whom he
was proud to serve, and who clearly regarded him first as a friend then as a
padré, and lastly as an officer. During my own service for twelve years in the
Royal Air Force, I met two RAF Padrés, who had served with Dad during the war as
Padrés in the Army. They remembered him well as a fundamentalist. They may have
had a point, but I would rather think that he had a better understanding of what
it was like to be a real Christian, and in a world that believes anything these
days, he believes in the basic tenets of the true gospel of the New Testament.
If that means being a fundamentalist so be it, but our clear instruction to love
our neighbour as ourselves, requires the childlike approach that Jesus taught us
we must have. True belief must begin where absolute proof is absent. I may not
hold exactly the same beliefs as my father or the next chap, because all our
experiences and the way we translate them are different. For my father I have
the greatest respect and admiration. For me he is a real man and the one for
whom I have the greatest love. He is my hero. I am so proud he is my Dad. I am
his oldest son Andrew. August 2014.

Colonel, The Cameronians (Scottish
Rifles), 1951-1954. Lord Lieutenant, County of Ross & Cromarty, 1955-1964.
Aide de Camp General to the King, 1946-1948. Commandant, Army Cadet Force,
Scotland, 1948-1959. Lord High Commissioner, Church of Scotland General Assembly,
1964. Justice of the Peace, Ross and Cromarty, 1952.Literature: Corelli Barnett. The
desert generals (1960); Charles E. Pfannes & Victor A. Salamone. The
great commanders of World War II. Vol. II: The British (1981); John Baynes.The forgotten victor : General Sir Richard O'Connor, KT, GCB,
DSO, MC (1989)
* Dates given are from the official personnel
records. Redesignations were in effect on other dates.

* For conspicuous gallantry in action. He
rendered most valuable assistance in the organisation and digging of new
trenches. On two occasions he voluntarily took out patrols to get into touch
with our flanks under intense fire.

died of
illness on active service[A popular young man and a brilliant officer
of great promise, Major Ord's rapid promotion gave much satisfaction to his many
friends , and his sudden death, after only a few hours illness, is deeply
deplored by the local community of Arabella, among whom he spent his childhood
and early youth previous to his joining the army.]

Honorary Colonel of 3rd Territorial Battalion
Royal Welch Fusiliers, ...-18.11.1989. He served for many years as a JP and was High Sheriff for
Denbighshire. Deputy Lieutenant of Clwyd from 14.07.1972 to 1980.

His son writes: "Commissioned 1942 Sandhurst
Lancashire Fusiliers. Went to India Re-badged KOYLI in India 1944 re-roled
Armoured in Support Indian troops Imphal Kohima. Adjt then Sqn Ldr A Squadron.
WW2 up to Maj Post War Regular Capt to 1961."

His daughter writes: "Attained rank of Major
either during WW2 or shortly thereafter. During WW2 served in North Africa and
Middle East. After WW2 was stationed at Edinburgh Castle and Fort William.
Resigned from regiment in approximately 1946 or 1947."

received
Combined Operations training Syria/Lebanon and volunteered for Special Air
Service

07.1943

-

09.1943

hospitalized
with dysentery in Egypt; posted back to UK

09.1943

seconded,
Royal Ulster Rifles

08.1944

to St. Helena
Regiment, S. Atlantic
[Hospitalized again with severe liver disease. In and out of hospital through
04.1948 when put on inactive reserve with 50% War Disability. Diagnosed with TB
and 100% War disability in 1950.]

served in
the ranks for 4 years, 46 days (mobilized Territorial Army 24.08.1939)

17.10.1943

commissioned, Royal
Regiment of Artillery [emergency commission to 20.09.1946]

21.09.1946

permanent commission

The following was mentioned at his funeral: "He
served in the Royal Regiment of Artillery (RA) from 1938-1958 which included war
service with the Eighth Army in the Western Desert and Italy between 1940-1945
where he received a wartime commission. He was wounded by a German Teller mine
at the Battle of El Alamein in October 1942. Whilst recuperating he was sent as
a potential Young Officer to the Middle East OCTU (Officer Cadet Training Unit)
based in Palestine and Lebanon in 1943 after which he saw active service in
Italy as a wartime commissioned 2nd Lieutenant. He saw active service at Monte
Cassino and Rome in 1944 where he was one of the first Allied officers to enter
Rome once the Germans withdrew in early June 1944. One of his favourite
anecdotes was being selected as one of the first Allied officers to be
introduced to the then Pope (Pius XII) at the Vatican following Rome's
liberation. Being one of the tallest (6'6" or 196cm) he was the first in line to
be greeted by the Pope whom he shook warmly by the hand rather than kiss the
Papal ring on the Pope's outstretched hand as was customary. Being confirmed in
the Church of England meant this piece of Catholic etiquette was unknown to him.
All the other Allied officers in line appeared to have been Catholic as they all
bowed over to kiss the ring! He ended the war in May 1945 in Villach, Austria.
On receiving a regular commission in the RA in September 1946, he spent the next
12 years in various postings during withdrawal from Empire - Hong Kong, occupied
Japan and Korea during the Korean War, the Malayan Emergency, Singapore, Suez
and finished his service with 54 Maharajpore Battery in Cyprus during the
Greek-Cypriot EOKA campaign against British rule. In civilian life, he became a
successful computer sales executive moving to Kent in 1962."

* For conspicuous gallantry in action. He
displayed great courage and initiative in the placing of his machine guns
during an attack on the enemy's trenches. Later, he rescued a wounded man
under very heavy fire.
** For conspicuous gallantry and ability while commanding a section of
machine guns in an attack. He led his men forward with great dash and took
up an advanced position, from which he was able to cover the line reached by
the infantry with enfilade fire. When the enemy attempted to counterattack
he materially assisted in breaking up the attack.

seconded
(shown under Commands and Staff, Miscellaneous Special Appointments)

(04.1944)

seconded

served
Auxiliary Units

Published:
Auxiliary Units history and achievement, 1940-1944 : the official story of
Britain’s secret wartime resistance army / discovered and introduced by the
British Resistance Organisation Museum ; from an original document written by
N.V. Oxenden, October 1944 ; [researched and compiled by Andy Taylor]. (1998)